Judge has 'moral obligation'

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A senior judge had a moral obligation to provide his half of a
blood sample after the police sample taken after a car accident
went missing, the NSW opposition said today.

NSW police have said they do not know what happened to a blood
sample taken from NSW Supreme Court judge Justice Jeff Shaw.

The sample was taken at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where
Justice Shaw was taken after his car hit a parked vehicle on Louisa
Road near his home in Sydney's Birchgrove at 11.30pm on October
13.

He gave a mandatory blood sample at the hospital.

In line with procedures, the sample was divided, with half given
to Justice Shaw and the other half placed in a secure police sample
box for collection.

But the sample was not in the box when it reached the blood
sampling unit of the police traffic services branch.

NSW Opposition Leader John Brogden said Justice Shaw should
provide his sample and an independent investigation be
undertaken.

"I do believe that Justice Jeff Shaw has a moral obligation to
hand over his personal blood sample," Mr Brogden told ABC
Radio.

"Clearly, he has no legal obligation but as a justice of the
Supreme Court of NSW, a former attorney-general, a public figure of
note in the state of NSW, I believe he must ensure that justice is
done and justice is seen to be done.

"Secondly, I think that this is now no longer a matter that we
can wait to see through to conclusion in terms of the bungled
process, the government must now appoint an independent individual
to undertake an inquiry.

Mr Brogden said while the missing blood sample was a result of a
police failure, Justice Shaw should clear up the matter.